If Leicester City are to secure promotion under Marti Cifuentes this season – and it remains a major uncertainty at this point – then the final 20 minutes at Carrow Road will be remembered as a pivotal spell in their campaign.
This was a match balanced on a knife’s edge, with significant implications depending on how the result went. And to heighten the drama, the outcome swung one way before finally tipping the other.
With half an hour remaining, City conceded the first goal Norwich had managed at home in four games. After seven successive visiting sides had triumphed at Carrow Road, City looked set to be the first away team to fail to win there this season.
The mood among the travelling fans was miserable. City supporters were chanting “sack the board” and “we want our club back”.
By the final whistle, they were euphoric, celebrating their match-winner Jordan James. Norwich fans, meanwhile, jeered their team off the field, demonstrated outside the stadium, and then saw their manager sacked within the hour.
Cifuentes wasn’t quite under as much pressure as Liam Manning, but a defeat would have made for an uneasy fortnight.
Failing to win a sixth consecutive match, and against a team in such dreadful form, would have looked terrible, while a loss would have left City nearer the relegation spots than the play-off places.
In that case, it wouldn’t have been entirely shocking if Cifuentes had suffered the same fate as Manning. Such are the fine margins in football.
A commanding, assured win would have been the perfect outcome for Cifuentes, but the way the match unfolded was perhaps the next best thing.
Because by falling behind, City were able to respond to some of the doubts about their mentality that recent displays had raised.
They could easily have fallen apart after conceding, but unlike the defeats to Millwall and Blackburn, they showed determination to fight back, increasing their tempo and sharpness in possession. Unlike the draw with Middlesbrough, they stayed composed even as the pressure built.
They also benefitted from Norwich’s issues. The Canaries looked nervous when leading, shown by their inability to clear the cross for City’s goal. Once City got on top, they couldn’t handle it.
But this was arguably City’s best 20-minute spell of the season, delivered at the moment they – and Cifuentes – needed it most.
Counterintuitive call brings out young Gerrard
While fight and composure were crucial in City’s comeback, tactical choices perhaps played an even more decisive part.
Chief among them was the introduction of Bobby De Cordova-Reid. Deployed in the number 10 role, the Jamaican was the ideal substitution in such a situation.
Not only did he possess the experience to stay calm under pressure, but also the intelligence to occupy the right spaces and exploit Norwich’s defensive gaps.
He had the technical quality too. He finished his goal excellently, provided a pinpoint through ball for Abdul Fatawu’s big chance, and released the winger for the winning goal. For a 20-minute attacking cameo, it was as impactful as they come.
His arrival also reshaped the team. With De Cordova-Reid operating as number 10, James dropped back into the box-to-box number eight position.
That’s the role James prefers – and it’s where he made his biggest contribution.
It was a calculated risk from Cifuentes to keep him on the pitch. James had been substituted in nine of his previous 10 starts for the club, a decision often questioned by fans.
Cifuentes has always said those changes were to protect him from injury. Even on Saturday, he admitted the Welshman was playing through discomfort.
Perhaps knowing he had a week off before international duty, Cifuentes was willing to push him further.
By moving James deeper, Cifuentes actually made him more of a goal threat.
It may sound counterintuitive, but in Cifuentes’ setup, the number 10 drifts slightly wide. At Carrow Road, that meant James spent the first 70 minutes linking up with Fatawu and sending him through – rarely arriving in the box himself. As the connector, he couldn’t become the finisher.
With De Cordova-Reid now in that role, James had the freedom to burst into the area – which he did brilliantly for the winner, heading home his first-ever career goal in that fashion. Afterwards, Stephy Mavididi shared a picture of a young Steven Gerrard with a thank you to James.
It wasn’t just a lookalike comparison – their box-to-box styles are remarkably similar. Gerrard too often surged from deep to head in vital goals, most famously in the 2005 Champions League final.
Cifuentes’ substitutions have changed games before this season, and while there’s always debate about whether he should get it right from the start, the ability to read and reshape a match is a valuable skill. His adjustments here worked perfectly.
Improved numbers show win was deserved
The teams’ recent form was reflected in the first hour – a scrappy, low-quality affair.
City edged the first half but without much flair. Cifuentes once again used the modified setup from the Boro game, with Ricardo Pereira starting on the left – filling in as left-back defensively but pushing up as a wing-back when City had the ball.
Neither Ricardo nor Caleb Okoli, who mirrored him on the opposite flank, looked entirely comfortable until Ben Nelson’s injury forced Cifuentes to revert to his standard formation.
From then, City were more fluid in possession and by full-time, fully deserved their win. Despite the late goal, it wasn’t a smash-and-grab.
The stats supported that. Norwich’s expected goals (0.3) was the lowest City have allowed all season, while their own xG of 1.6 was their biggest margin since the opening day. They managed seven shots on target – their highest since the Coventry draw – and 11 inside the box, just one short of their best tally this campaign.
It wasn’t flawless, but City were clearly the superior side by the end.
Daka strengthens his case despite ongoing drought
Once again, Cifuentes switched his striker – and it worked. Patson Daka’s goal drought may now stretch to 38 games, and he missed a good header, but he influenced the match positively.
His pressing unsettled Norwich’s goalkeeper Vladan Kovacevic, forcing long balls and quick turnovers. He also showed quick reactions and clever play to nod the ball down for De Cordova-Reid’s equaliser.
City’s striker position remains a headache, but Daka made his best argument yet to be first choice.
Jordan Ayew is likely the next best option, more effective centrally than wide. But on the flank, he slows the tempo instead of driving at defenders. Through the middle, he can hold up play and feed runners – out wide, he just lets defences regroup.
After several months in charge, these are the lessons Cifuentes must absorb.
Time to find answers to key questions
City now head into their final break before a relentless run of fixtures – a valuable window to reassess and regroup.
There’s still plenty to fix. Are City playing well? Not really. Is the squad strong enough for promotion? That’s arguable. Are the fans content? Absolutely not.
The coming weeks give Cifuentes and the club time to identify their main issues, plan for January, and reconnect with a fanbase whose frustration remains high.
This was a crucial win – but for many, it still feels like one that merely papers over the cracks.